


Crisis Averted

by detrixx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ariana Dumbledore Deserved Better, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Paternal Sirius Black, Sirius Black is a good godfather, Time Travel Fix-It, and she's kinda badass we stan, sirius is trying his best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24802465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detrixx/pseuds/detrixx
Summary: Harry follows Sirius into the Veil, only instead of dying they pop up in 1895. Together they save the life of an unstable young girl and single handedly prevent the Wizarding War.More or less.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 105





	1. The Veil

Sirius was _falling_ into the Veil.

Harry watched him fall, his entire body frozen for a split second as he watched his _godfather_ fall through the veil. He heard Bellatrix's squeal of delight echo around him.

" I killed Si—"

He dashed forward, his entire body thrumming, his gut _wrenching_ because Sirius just _fell through the fucking veil._

He ran to the veil, but it still felt like he couldn't get there fast enough. People were shouting and through the corner of his eye he could see Kingsley lunge forward.

Harry's just a hair's breadth away from the Veil and he holds his breath when Remus' fingertips brush against his shirt.

Except Remus is just a second too late and before he knows it, Harry's diving head first into the Veil.

* * *

It was dark, wherever he was.

The pitch black darkness was oddly calming. It was like he was floating through space, and he could feel a warmth envelope him, soothing away all the pains and worries.

It was nice. He wanted to curl up into the warmth, to give in and let it wash over him until all he could feel was—

_Sirius._

He had to find Sirius

Panic bubbled up inside him and threatened to spill out. Harry looked around, clenching his wand in his hands in an effort to get them to stop shaking. But it was useless because its pitch black and Harry couldn't see a single fucking thing. The darkness seemed suffocating now and the warmth was getting stronger. It felt like a strong tug now, like a rope tied around his navel.

Harry took a deep breath. He took a step forward, then another, and another.

 _One step at a time_ , he chimed in his head. It was like trying to swim against a current. Each step grew heavier and heavier, soon Harry was panting with every step.

He fell onto his knees as the warmth blossomed into a fire that slowly crawled up his veins. It felt like he was being burned alive, only the heat was coming from _inside_ of him. Harry gritted his teeth and waved his wand above his head.

" _Gelida Flammae. "_ The flame-freezing charm seemed to have the opposite effect and Harry cried out in pain as the fire doubled in strength.

Through his eyelids, he saw a light flash somewhere. He drew in a sharp breath and stood up,knuckles white against his wand. He looked into the abyss that surrounded him, desperately searching the darkness until he found a small speck of light, glowing brightly against the darkness. A giddy feeling swelled up in his chest.

_Sirius._

The fire inside of him burned brighter. Harry's mouth twisted into a grimace as he took a step forward, closer to the light. Then everything started to get denser, collapsing around him until he couldn't take a single step further.

It felt like he was being squeezed; like some invisible force had caught him in its grip and refused to let go.

The world seemed to spin upside down and soon Harry was falling and he couldn't move a muscle. Pressure pushed against him from all sides as he sped downwards. The heat blazed inside of him and Harry closed his eyes and screamed as he fell down, down, down.

_Harry._

His eyes fluttered. Had he heard something or—

_Harry._

A sick feeling settled itself in his stomach. He was in the Veil of Death and now he was hearing voices. That couldn't possibly be good.

Except the light was growing stronger from under his eyelids. Harry's eyes snapped open. _No,_ Harry thought in something akin to wonder, _it was multiplying_.

_Harry._

All around him, tiny specks of light flickered into life, each one beaming brightly. Slowly yet surely, the darkness receded until only light remained. Harry shut his eyes, his mind whirling.

_Harry.._

Something cold brushed up against his cheek, a sweet reprieve from the heat. _I love you_ , a sweet voice whispered next to his ear. Harry wondered if it was his mother. His breath hitched at the possibility.

Harry yelped as he was thrown forward into the light. The pressure had vanished as if it was never there, and for a moment everything seemed to stop.

There was a loud bang and colour exploded around him.

* * *

Harry landed on the ground with a thud.

He groaned, pushing himself up as he registered the distant, cheerful chirping of birds.

Wait—

_Birds?_

Harry's eyes snapped open. He was in a forest, judging by the amount of trees surrounding him. Harry winced when sunlight shone directly into his eyes.

Looking away, his gaze fell to a figure that lay a few feet away from him. Harry's eyes widened and before he knew it he was on his feet, stumbling over to the other man.

" Sirius, " He yelled, kneeling beside him. He grabbed Sirius' wrist. Harry let out a shaky breath at the strong, if slow, pulse that danced underneath his fingertips. Harry stood up, keeping one eye on Sirius and the other on the ground as he searched for their wands. He spotted them hidden among the grass and safely tucked them into his pocket.

" Harry? "

Harry's heart leapt into his throat and he sped to Sirius, who was clutching his chest and hacking his heart out.

" What happened? " Sirius asked between coughs.

" Where are we? "

 _Sirius was alive_. Harry couldn't keep his eyes off him, afraid that he was imagining it, that he was still in the dark place. He swallowed thickly.

" We were in the Department of Mysteries. You-you fell into the Veil, so I followed you and now we're here. "

Sirius sat up and gripped his shoulders sternly. " The veil— _The Veil?_ You followed me? Morgana's tits Harry, you bloody idiot—are...are we dead? "

Sirius' face was so comically frightened that Harry couldn't help the high, breathy laughter that escaped him.

" I don't think so? " Harry gazed down at his hands. " I don't feel dead? "

Sirius was getting paler by the minute and Harry wondered if he was going to vomit right there.

" My wand, " Sirius rasped, " where is it? " Harry fished it out of his pocket, handing it to Sirius who let out a breath of relief upon seeing it.

" _Lumos. "_ The end of his wand immediately lit up. " I don't think we're dead. " He got up and started walking around.

Harry nodded as he followed closely behind Sirius. He still felt a bit dazed.

" We're going to apparate. Hold on tight. " Harry clutched Sirius' arm, wheezing when the grass below them was replaced for a familiar cobblestone path.

Sirius placed a comforting hand on his back as Harry knelt over, trying to keep the contents of his stomach. Slowly, Sirius led him through a door.

Harry glanced up as laughter filled his ears. They were standing in a pub of sorts. It was slightly dingy; the walls could use a good scrubbing, the chairs looked a bit well-worn—overall, it looked very much like Leaky Cauldron.

" Tom? " Sirius breathed, staring at the blond man over the counter in wonder.

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion. Tom was a bald old man,while the boy over the counter seemed to be in his early twenties and he had a head full of thick, blond hair.

" Yes, how can I help you? " The boy—Harry refused to believe that was _Tom_ —said. He paused when neither of them answered. " One of you called me, right? You asked for Tom? "

Harry swallowed thickly. " You're Tom? "

The boy frowned. " Yes. " His eyes looked them over, narrowing suspiciously. " Do you fellas' need help? " He sounded exactly like Tom. His voice was less throaty, and maybe a bit higher but other than that it was exactly the same.

_Were they-_

_They couldn't_ be.

 _Maybe they were dead_. Harry wasn't quite sure which he preferred at the moment.


	2. a wrinkle in time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Sirius figure stuff out.

" What year is it? " Sirius asked Tom, breaking the stark moment of silence.

" ...1895."

Harry's breath died in his throat and his stomach dropped six feet under. That wasn't possible, there was no way they were in 1895—

There was no way they should've made it out of the Veil alive. They should be _dead._

Panic seized him as his mind began to spin. He snapped his head to the left. If this really was the Leaky Cauldron, then there should be a calender hanging right beside the entrance. With bated breath, Harry walked to the calendar.

_18 June 1895._

" Fuck," Harry swore so softly he barely heard himself. His stomach lurched. Ron and Hermione— _Oh god._

They could be dead. Dumbledore, Ginny, Luna—they could all be dead, and Harry would never even know. Even worse, Voldemorse could have his hands on the prophecy.

It was Harry who brought them there. Because of him, they walked straight into Voldemort's palm. He leaned his back against the wall and wrapped his arms around him, trying to think through the nausea.

" Hey, " Sirius' voice brought him back to the present—or was it the past now? " You need to calm down. "

Harry nodded. Sirius was right. He reeled his thoughts back in with shallow breaths.

Tom leaned over, sliding a key across the counter.

" The boy looks like he needs some rest, and so do you. " Sirius looked torn, gaze switching between the key and Harry.

Sirius took the key, slinging Harry's arm over his shoulder before climbing up dark wooden steps, the occasional creak worming its way from the steps.

The room Tom had given them was one of the bigger ones,equipped with two beds and a desk. Sirius set him on the bed closer to the window and Harry immediately lied down and faced the wall, only turning around at the soft rustle of sheets. He glanced over, slightly envious to see Sirius passed out on the other bed.

Harry faced the wall once more. He was exhausted, but everytime he closed his eyes he couldn't help but remember Ginny's broken ankle, Hermione knocked out by a curse.

Harry spent most of the night staring at the ceiling.

* * *

Their routine was built on pretending.

Between their part time jobs—Tom was kind enough to hire them both and Sirius took an extra job in a small bookshop in Knockturn Alley (it was rather hard to get employment when you had zero background looked suspiciously like a Black and a Potter)—they spent the majority of their time pretending that everything was fine.

Sure, they occasionally broached the subject on how to get back to the present, but Harry noticed that they never fully talked about what would happen if they couldn't get back.

He had asked Sirius once, just a week into the past. It was late at night, they were sitting on the floor, sprawled in front of a fire. Sirius had a bottle of firewhiskey in his hands and Harry—in some inane fit of logic—thought it would be a good time to approach the subject.

" _What if we can't go back? " He asked. Sirius only took a long swig of whiskey, and for a second Harry thought he hadn't heard him. " What if we're stuck here? "_

" _Don't say that, " He answered, his voice raw. The fire cast shadows on his face and for a horrifying moment, Sirius reminded Harry of Walburga Black's portrait; gaunt and miserable. " We'll make it back. "_

The next morning after that, Sirius announced his plan. In 1895, the Veil hadn't been discovered yet, and what few time turners were invented were kept under close guard. Britain was a dead-end. (Of course, it didn't help that the many people were starting to get suspicious of two wizards with no backgrounds and looked like the textbook example of a Black and a Potter.)

So they decided to branch out to other countries. The good thing about working in a famous pub was the customers. A few drinks and Sirius and Harry were chatting up customers like they were old friends. It didn't help that many of the customers were terrible gossips.

There was a rumour that MACUSA had a small project kept closely under wraps—whispers of an extremely overpowered time turner, capable of sending someone back up to a year. Harry wasn't sure if it would work, considering that they were trying to go a hundred years to the future, but they both agreed that it was definitely worth checking.

As soon as they had saved up enough money, they set off to America and bid Tom a grateful goodbye.

* * *

As much as Harry hated it, a small part of him regretted following Sirius through the veil.

Just thinking about it made his head swim in guilt because Sirius was his _godfather_ and he knew that Sirius would do the same if it was Harry. But at the same time Harry couldn't get it out of his head.

" Hey, pup, are you okay? " Sirius asked him, already walking up to press his hand against Harry's forehead. " You've been really spacey these few days. Are you sure you're feeling okay? "

Harry pushed down his guilt with a smile. " I'm fine, " He said, swatting at Sirius' hand playfully. They were careful about getting sick or injured. Medicine was expensive and much harder to get.

He waved at the half a dozen books on the table. " Just a bit tired that's all. " Sirius had taken to teaching him when he had the time—which was to say, almost all the time. They had snuck on a muggle boat to America, hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak. " Thank Merlin we're landing tomorrow, I'm starting to get a bit sea-sick. "

Sirius snorted in agreement. " I can't wait to get off this god-forsaken boat. " He laughed as he sat down and Harry felt guilt rise up. Sirius' side of the table was covered in newspaper from America and quite a few other countries. He was scanning the news almost obsessively, while Harry spent most of his free time moping. This was _Sirius_ , he couldn't have just stood there and watched him fall. Sirius had gone through twelve years in Azkaban for him.

Harry made the right choice.

He shuddered to think at what would have happened if Sirius had to go through this alone. Even now, the man was wary to the point of paranoia.

Sure, things were shit, to put it plainly, but he had Sirius. Together they could make it back to the future to kick Voldemort's slimy ass.

They were _together_ and that was important.

Because of the power of family and friendship and all that shit ~~but also because Harry couldn't bear to imagine a future without Sirius in it.~~

* * *

" What if we just killed Voldemort while he's a baby. " Harry suggested quietly, eyes watching the woods. " No baby Tom Riddle, no Voldemort, no war. "

" Ah, so while he's weak and defenseless." Sirius hummed. " Smart. "

Then, a sudden brown streak caught Harry's attention. He pulled back the string of his bow, ignoring the faint ache of his muscles in protest. A second later, there was a small thud. Harry ran to the rabbit, feeling a small twinge of pity for it, but hey, they had to eat.

" Look's like I win again. " He smirked victoriously. Sirius rolled his eyes. " You can catch a Snitch in three minutes, don't act so surprised. "

Sirius took the rabbit, levitating it in the air with his wand. " So Tom Riddle is Voldemort's real name? Riddle isn't a wizarding surname. " He snorted, glee shining in his face. " My parents must be rolling in their graves. "

" Tom _Marvolo_ Riddle. " Harry corrected.

" Marvolo? That's a wizarding name. He can't be a muggleborn. "

" Maybe he's a half-blood, like me. "

Sirius pressed his lips into a thin line. " It'll be hard to pin down where he was born. "

It probably should have bothered him that they were discussing the death of a newborn so flippantly, but Harry couldn't bring himself to feel remorse. Killing Voldemort would save hundreds of thousands of lives. Including Cedric Diggory. Including Lily and James Potter. Including Harry Potter, who wouldn't have to grow up in cupboards

The means justified the odds.

Then his back straightened as tingles of magic shot up his spine. When you spent most of your day in German's version of Knockturn Alley, it was sensible to set up a few wards. They lived in a small, isolated cottage. There wasn't a single person around for miles.

So why exactly were the "alarms" set off?

Sirius and Harry's eyes met. Sirius nodded minutely as Harry wrenched open his sling bag to pull out his invisibility cloak. The alarms alerted then whenever aggressive foreign magic was detected a hundred meters from the wards. For them to react so strongly meant very powerful, _very aggressive_ magic.

They huddled under the cloak, their wands extended, allowing it to guide them to the source of the powerful magic.

Eventually, they were greeted with the sight of three wizards arguing in a small clearing—or rather three wizards and a small girl watching them with panic on her face.

" I know Mum's death was hard on you, " a man shouted at a younger man. They were clearly siblings; they shared the same ginger hair and light, blue eyes. The girl had them too. " But you can't just abandon us, Albus. You have responsibilities—"

Harry looked at Sirius with wide eyes. _Albus?_ It was incredibly difficult to picture Albus Dumbledore as anything but an old man, but Harry had grown used to seeing familiar people on different faces.

That meant that they must be Albus and Aberforth Dumbledore, but then who was the blond man and the young girl? Harry had never heard of Dumbledore having a younger sister.

" Have you any idea how suffocating it is in that house? I'm locked up in there all day with _her? "_ Albus snarled with such venom in his voice that both Harry and the girl flinched. Small sparks of magic shot around her, the tips of the grass singing at her feet.

Harry frowned at that. At her age, accidental magic was incredibly uncommon. Her magic was incredibly volatile, and the tension was setting it off.

" She's your _sister._ " Aberforth spat. " She's your fucking sister. " Albus flinched slightly. "You know how unstable Ariana's magic is. You're supposed to protect her, Albus—"

" How can I, when she's the reason they're dead. " He said coldly and Harry felt the wind knock out of him. Dumbledore sounded so _cold_. The last time Harry had heard him sound so cold, was when he was talking to Voldemort, but even then it paled in comparison. The pale man stepped up from behind Albus, resting a hand on his shoulder.

" He won't go back with you, Aberforth. I think you should leave. " He spoke calmly.

"Grindelwald! This is your fault, I knew you were trouble—"

Harry's head swam. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were _enemies_. They fought against each other in a war. A sudden sparking sound drew his attention, and his gut twisted when he saw golden sparks sizzling off the girl. She was hyperventilating, eyes watching the scene with increasing panic. Harry knew it wouldn't be long before she lost control of her magic.

Something bad was going to happen.

The three wizard's voices grew in volume, and eventually they drew their wands and spells started flying. Harry raised his wand, deflecting more than a few spells that made its way towards the girl.

Magic gathered around her, no one noticing but Sirius and Harry. The spells increased in lethality, purple and yellow meeting red in a small burst of sparks, and Harry's grip on his wand tightened as he deflected a bone shattering curse.

_What the fuck were they doing?_

Harry cast a disillusionment charm on himself, ignoring Sirius' warning grip on his wrist. He sprinted forward just in time to watch Albus and Grindelwald each shoot a spell at Aberforth, who deflected it with a shield, sending the spells hurtling in the girl's direction

Harry cursed. The spells were whizzing straight at them-Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as they came closer.. Readying his magic, his gut clenched as he grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her close.

They barely apparated in time, vanishing with the spells just an inch away, colliding together in an explosive manner.

(Meanwhile Albus Dumbledore stared at the singed spot in disbelief.

Ariana had been standing right there, completely defenseless as two very dangerous spells shot right at her. He could recognise them easily. Green for Confringo. And red-

Red for an Entrail Expelling Curse.

He whipped around to face Gellert, who looked utterly unrepentant. He looked..normal. Bored. As if nothing had happened.

_As if Ariana—_

_What had he done?)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I’m sorry I suck at summaries. Anyway sorry for the late update, but chapter 3 is coming soon. 
> 
> Some things to note:  
> -Sirius and Harry basically went country-hopping and kept low profiles :0
> 
> \- the original time line is 1895, and the time skips to 1899.


	3. time to hit the road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry & sirius meet ariana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE read the important note at the end :p

The girl in his arms was trembling like leaf, volatile gold sparks rolling down her arms in small tremors that shook her thin frame. Harry took a step back. Raw magic in that state was dangerous and temperamental. Trying to smother it down with his own would only make it lash out more.

Steeling himself, he took a step closer, gathering the trembling girl in his arms. He ignored the small twinges of pain, choosing instead to focus on the girl. Her glassy blue eyes were unfocused and dull. Her chest was heaving in quick, rapid beats but her limbs remained as stiff as a board.

" Hey, you're okay now. You're safe. " He mumbled to her. Finally sensing his proximity, she wrenched away from him. Harry loosened his grip, but kept his hands firmly on her arms. He winced when her magic doubled in retaliation. " You need to calm down. "

She panicked even harder. Which made sense, Harry supposed. He heaved sigh of relief at the telltale crack of Apparition.

" Do we have any Calming Draught left? " He asked over his shoulder. Harry ignored Sirius' disapproving glare with practised ease, choosing instead to keep his attention on the girl's still trembling frame.

Harry patted her back in a manner he hoped was comforting. After a few minutes of awkward patting, the girl had calmed slightly but it still wasn't enough for her magic to back down. Sirius returned, placing one hand one Harry's shoulder and the other holding out a vial.

Harry took the vial, tipping it to the girl's mouth and down her throat. He'd rather not use the draught at all, but at her current rate she'd expose their location and Harry didn't feel like fighting off two angry wizards.

" Hey, you're okay now. " He soothed, taking a step back to give her some space. Her eyes flitted from Harry to Sirius to the beige walls of the cottage then back to Harry again.

She eyed them warily. Harry raised his hands in a sign of peace when she skittered away from them.

" I'm Harry, " he said slowly. " This is Sirius. We don't want to hurt you. " The girl's expression didn't change. If anything she seemed more wary as she wrapped her arms around her.

" Then, " she piped, her voice small with only a hint of shakiness, " then you won't mind letting me go. "

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius' elbow silenced him before he could get word out.

" Of course, " Sirius interrupted smoothly. " Please, you're free to leave— we'll even drop you off. " He nudged past Harry. " I'm assuming you'll want to go back to your brothers—"

" No, " She blurted out with surprising volume. She took a deep breath. " Take me to the muggle port instead. "

Harry and Sirius shared a disbelieving glance. The girl was short, her blue eyes and red hair only making her look younger. She couldn't be older than thirteen. She wouldn't last a week on a boat, especially not without her magic.

" Fine. We'll leave in half an hour. " Sirius agreed, pulling Harry away by the sleeve of his shirt before he could protest, waving a Muffliato charm around them on the way.

" She'll die, you _know_ she will, " Harry hissed at him, shoving Sirius away. " She can barely control her magic— she doesn't even have a wand!"

" Harry."

" She won't survive a week—"

" Harry—"

" She'll be torn apart, we can't let her—"

" Harry! " Sirius yelled. " Your arms. " Harry looked down at his arms, his words dying at the small burn marks that littered his forearms. His mind went back to the sparks of magic shooting off the girl when he held her.

Sirius sighed. " Come on. Let's fix you up. " He guided him to their small kitchenette , making Harry sit on the dining table with a stern glare. Sirius sat in front of him moment's later, armed with bandages and a bucket of water. He dipped the bandages in water before wrapping them carefully around Harry's arms.

" These are magic burns, anymore magic could just make everything worse, so you'll have to heal the good old-fashioned way. " Sirius explained as he twined the bandages around Harry's arm. Harry nodded. They barely hurt anyway, his arms felt weirdly numb more than anything.

" Are you really going to let her go? " He said, interrupting the tense silence between them.

" We can't mess with time, Harry. " Sirius sighed. " She's _meant_ to die. We can't change that—"

" We were talking about killing baby Voldemort just ten minutes ago! " Harry snapped.

" That's different! "

" How—!?"

" We don't know what her living could change! " Sirius said sharply, tying the right bandage just a bit too tight. " It's too risky. "

" We don't know killing Voldemort would make the world a better place. It could end up worse for all we know! " Harry yelled, getting up to leave. " She's just a kid, Sirius. "

" Bad things happen to wizards who mess with time, Harry, " Sirius called out after him.

" Guess we're screwed then. " Harry shot back at him. " We've changed things just by being here, changing one more thing won't matter. "

* * *

The muggle port wasn't what you could call pleasant. Tensions between USA and Germany were running high at the moment. The whispers of an upcoming war added with the slowly worsening economy made the muggles tense and desperate; an undesirable combination.

Especially for the girl—Ariana, Harry recalled. She was small and dainty and practically screamed defenceless. But Harry knew he couldn't force her stay, no matter how much he wanted to. She'd blow the cottage up before they forced her to stay a day with them.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't help her.

" Here, " He said, handing Ariana the sack he had slung across his shoulder. " It has food, water, some blankets. It should last you a few weeks at least."

Ariana turned her eyes to his, grabbing the bag after a moment's hesitation. "Thanks, for helping me. "

Sirius nodded. " So what's your plan?" He asked her, eyeing her curiously. " You can't just waltz on board a random ship. The muggle-repelling charm will wear off eventually. "

She faltered, opening her mouth before snapping it shut. Her eyes examined the port, drinking in the sight of the numerous boats and dense streams of people " I'll—I'll figure something out. " She stammered.

Harry looked at her sadly. She wouldn't last a day once the muggle-repelling charm wore off. Guilt started to gnaw at him.

Beside him, Sirius stared at her in disbelief. " You'll figure something out— You don't have a plan, do you? "

Ariana looked down, her face flustered and red.

Sirius sighed. " You see the second last boat on the left? That goes to China. Find Zhang Fou, he runs a magical apothecary not far from the port. Tell him you're a friend of William Jones. " Ariana nodded, her eyes wide as she took it all in.

" Or, " Harry blurted out, " you could stay with us, we don't mind—"

" Well, she doesn't want to, " Sirius said sharply, guiding Ariana to the boat. Harry glared at Sirius' back, stalking behind them as he grumbled under his breath.

The food and extra blankets should be enough for the boat ride, but ultimately her survival depended on her, a twelve-year-old girl who could barely control her magic. His stomach turned at the mere thought of it.

They stopped abruptly in front of the boat. Ariana's eyes were wide as she watched as muggles shove past one another to board. She took deep breath and began board. Harry watched her take each step with growing guilt.

She froze just a step before the ship. Harry could see her sky-blue eyes flitting back and forth between them and the ship.

" You can't stay there forever. " Sirius, ever the devil's advocate, called out. " It's leaving in five minutes, you should get a seat . "

Harry turned away from him, instead choosing to cast his eyes towards the sea. How could Sirius be so heartless? They had both changed a lot in the past four years but Harry had never expected Sirius to be so cold. They were essentially sending this girl to her death, there was no way she could make it all the way to China on her own.

" Or, if you'd like, you could stay with us for a while. " Harry whipped his head around to openly gape at Sirius.

" And I could leave anytime? "

" Anytime, " Sirius agreed, his tone light and his face blank.

Ariana almost ran back down to the dock, wobbling slightly.

" Well then, " she breathed, " I suppose we have a deal.

* * *

They were out of Germany by dusk.

Packing was a flurry of movement, both Harry and Sirius almost dancing around the cottage with practised ease. It probably seemed hectic to Ariana but they had always been quick on their feet. They'd moved so many times it Harry was sure they could do it with their eyes closed. It was systematic at this point. Harry would divide food, potions and other supplies between two—well, now three—packs while Sirius disassembled the wards and took down any additions they made to the cottage and returned it to its original, dilapidated state.

Ariana had been quiet ever since she agreed to stay with them so Harry was surprised and relieved when she finally spoke up. She had stood shyly in the corner from the whole time they were packing to when they had finally boarded the boat. She looked so painfully out of place and Harry couldn't help but feel his heart reach out to her.

" Where are we going? " She asked when they boarded, her tone deceptively light as she busied herself with laying a blank floor.

" Vatican city. " Sirius read out loud as he peered down at the map. " We'll be making a few stops along the way." Ariana's head whipped around in shock and Harry couldn't blame her.

" Vatican city? " Harry parroted. " Are you insane? The magical community there is practically nonexistent—and for a good reason! "

Sirius brightened obnoxiously. " Which is exactly why we'll be playing as muggles. "

" They'll burn us at the stakes if they find out we're wizards. " Ariana spoke up. Harry wondered if she was starting to regret her decision to join them.

" _If_ they find out. Besides, we have a spell for that. It's best to lay low for now—"

" —And what better place to lay low than the chief state of the Pope. " Harry finished dryly, groaning as he did so. " This is risky and dangerous—not to mention _insane_ , by the way. "

Sirius waved off his concern as he laid down on his own blanket, using his bag as a pillow to cushion his head. " It's also brilliant. Besides, we'll only be staying for few months, what's the worst that could happen? "

Harry only sighed. Vatican City, if he could recall, was neutral during World War II. Sirius was right, it would be best to stay away from magicals for now, just until they were sure Ariana wouldn't vitally change anything. Still, he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that Vatican City was _wrong._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy new update :0 This chapter was actually half of the original chapter I planned on posting but when the word count surpassed 3k I decided to cut it in half. Also good news! I originally planned this whole fic to last 6 chaps but I decided to extend it to 10 chaps. Anyway hope you guys enjoyed the chapter stay safe wherever you guys are <3333
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE:  
> Someone brought this up on my ffnet acc (cause this chap was posted over there like a few hours earlier) so just to make sure there isn't any confusion. YES I know that world war 2 is 40 Years~ away,, it honestly doesn't matter to this story I can't explain too much without spoiling but you'll understand as the story progresses.


	4. time for a change

Ariana knew she wasn’t much, but she knew she was smart. 

Everyone had told her so; her parents, her brothers—even Albus—their old neighbours had said so too. Although not in a nice way. She only heard them through hushed voices hidden behind hands. 

_“ That poor girl. She’s a bright one, just like her brothers. It’s such a pity, the things she could have done—”_

_Could have done._ Ariana wanted to laugh. And cry. A strange mix of both that she found herself feeling a lot of these days. So what if her magic was “uncontrollable and prone to violent outbursts”. Just because her magic was damaged it didn’t mean she was. 

Despite what everyone said, she knew she wasn’t. 

Ariana was clever. If she had gone to Hogwarts, she would have _flourished_. But no, instead she stayed at home, cooped up in her bed, staring at the same depressingly white walls instead of the coarse stone walls of Hogwarts. 

Staring at the muggle boat in front of her, Ariana took a deep breath and forced her legs to take another step _and stick to the goddamn plan._

It was a simple plan. She knew she wouldn’t survive alone, not with her magic as fucked up as it was. Ariana planned to play on the sympathies and moral compass of the guys who found her. Or at least, the sympathies and moral compass of the younger boy, who looked increasingly guilt ridden as time passed.

It was simple. Too simple, obviously. 

It felt like time had slowed, each second taking far too long. Ariana’s gut churned with every step even as she forced herself to take small, pint-sized steps. Fear crept up her spine when neither said anything, greyish eyes watching her walk to her death.

When Sirius called out to her, Ariana barely managed to stop herself from running back down to the pier. Judging by his amused expression, Ariana didn’t think she succeeded. 

_“ If you’d like, you could stay with us for a while.”_

Ariana didn’t think she had much of a choice. How her mother would frown if she could see her now, Ariana thought, gnawing at her nails. She really shouldn’t agree, not with her...condition, but it was either that or go back to Albus and Aberforth and she _really_ didn’t want to do that.

So Ariana agreed, and thought out a new plan. 

She’d wait until they reached their destination then she’d leave with enough supplies to last her at least a week. Ariana didn’t trust herself to keep her magic placid around strangers for longer than a week. Even if she couldn’t steal enough supplies, she didn’t dare to stay with them for too long. As soon as they landed, she promised herself. 

Of course, all that fell apart when she discovered that their destination was _Vatican City_. 

Ariana gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain calm. It would be fine. Beggars can’t be choosers, she’ll just have to tweak her plan a bit. She could do that.

* * *

“ Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are just the perfect shade of blue? “ Francis, the besotted fool that he is, cooed at her. 

_You have,_ she wanted to say. _Many, many times._

Instead, she took a deep breath and plastered a saccharine smile on her face.. Play nice, Sirius had said. Play nice, act normal and don’t blow your cover. It was easy for them to say that. Harry and Sirius were naturals. They’d won the whole town over before the week ended. Meanwhile, there was her, awkward and plain Ariana. 

Steeling herself, Ariana chimed out in a sickeningly sweet voice, “ Only my mother. “ 

Francis nodded eagerly at that, smiling up at her like she was the sun and Ariana started to feel just a tiny bit guilty. 

Then he opened his mouth. “ Their beauty is almost unnatural, have you by any chance bewitched me, my lady?” 

She took it all back. Her cheeks were aching from smiling and merlin _,_ it’s like Francis was _trying_ to set her off. 

Footsteps pattered behind her, accompanied by a wheezing snicker just loud enough for her to hear. Ariana hid her face, feeling the heat bloom in her cheeks.

“ My lady—“ Sirius admonished gleefully behind her. “How poetic. “ 

Ariana sighed wearily, abandoning any pretence. “ Lots of people have blue eyes, Francis, mine are hardly special. “ She had enough on her plate without a lovesick muggle boy following her everywhere, which was exactly what the older boy did. Honestly, it was a bit creepy. 

“ But—“ 

She slammed the windows shut. 

“ That, “ Sirius remarked, “ was cold. What happened to playing nice? “

“ He deserves it. “ She said bitterly, studying the wooden floors with avid interest. “ He just popped up a few days ago and now he won’t leave me alone. “ 

“ Couldn’t you have let him down a bit gentler? “ 

“ I _tried_. You’d think he’d be able to take a hint, “ she muttered. 

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose. “ Blending in is hard enough in this small town, we don’t need the baker’s son running around crying because you broke his heart. “ 

“ Because you and Harry are so discreet. You’ve flirted with half the town at this point—including the _nuns_. “ She scoffed and pushed past him. “ It’s one muggle boy, it’s not the end of the world. “ 

She fled the room, nearly tripping in her rush to get down the stars. Had the cottage always been so small? Her stomach clenched at the sudden stab of anxiety in her gut. Knowingly, Ariana held out a hand to steady herself against the kitchen cupboard.

“ Is it because he’s muggle? “ 

Merlin, she was not in the mood for this. 

“ What do you mean?” She called over her shoulder, her words laced with frustration as she drew her arms around her. She didn’t dare turn around, not when his gaze was burning the back of her head like a hot poker.

“ I mean, you’ve been so cold to everyone ever since we arrived here. When the priest took your hand last Sunday you almost yanked your hand away— no, don’t shake your head, I know what I saw. “ 

Ariana’s voice was surprisingly steady when she answered him, even with the large lump in her throat. “ Maybe I just don’t like muggles.“ She drew her arms closer. 

“ Don’t tell me you buy all of that blood purist shit! “ Sirius spat at her back. “ What would your brother say—“ 

She whipped around, somehow finding the courage to meet his eyes. “ You don’t know me, “ she said lowly, her hands clenched at her side as she took a step closer, magic spitting menacingly. “ You don’t know my family, so stop talking like you do because you don’t. “ 

The air got heavier and heavier as her chest grew so tight it was becoming hard to breathe. The light crème walls were suddenly suffocating and Ariana could feel her magic swelling up in defence. 

She didn’t wait for Sirius to answer, flinging the door open and letting it slam shut behind her. 

The bravado left her as soon as it came and soon Ariana was struggling to hold back her tears as she nudged her way through the village, ignoring the smiles and waves of greeting in favour of walking as fast as possible. 

She walked until she reached a gentle stream, and only then did she flop down beside it to bury her head in her arms. 

She took a shuddering breath, refusing to let the tears fall. _Don’t cry_ , her mother would say as she ran her hands through her hair, _be brave, Ariana. Just smile, you can do that, right?_

But it was so _hard_. 

Ariana didn’t even know what she was doing here. She had planned to get Sirius and Harry to trust her enough that she could steal their invisibility cloak and make it on her own but the more she stayed with them the more she knew it would never happen. 

Even if she was able to, she had no idea where to go from there. The whole plan was stupid really, there was no way she could survive on her own. She should have never left.

She missed her home, as dark and empty as it was it was still home. She missed her mother, and Aberfoth, and holy fuck did she miss Albus. 

But as much as it hurt to think about it, Ariana wasn’t sure if they missed her. Aberforth was simply a genius at Potions, Albus was clearly destined for greater horizons. In the end, they were better off not being tied down to her.

A week, she promised herself. She’d leave in a week, invisibility cloak or not. Sirius and Harry were good people, she didn’t want to risk another outburst with them nearby. 

Closing her eyes and laying her head on the grass, Ariana started the mental countdown.

7 more days and she’d be gone.

* * *

“ Are you a blood supremacist?” Harry asked her the next day over breakfast. It’s tactile enough to make her choke on her sandwich. 

“ What? “

“ Are you a blood supremacist? “ Harry said again, his voice lacking it’s usual warmth. 

“ You can dislike muggles without being a blood supremacist. “ Ariana managed to say, swallowing dryly. 

She kept her eyes on the table, idly tracing the faint, washed out pattern of the tablecloth. Blue roses dotted with small, white butterflies. Her mother would have liked it.

“ So why do you? Not like muggles, I mean. “ He spoke slowly and without any inflection but Ariana caught the way his hands lay flat on the kitchen table. Harry was almost always fidgeting.

She shrugged, still refusing to meet his eyes. “ I just don’t. “ 

“ My mum was a muggleborn. “ Harry admitted after a slight pause. Ariana looked away and braced herself for the “ Muggles are the best“ speech. 

“ My aunt’s a muggle. She never liked magic much—no one in her family did. They never really liked me much either. “ 

Her head whipped up, green eyes meeting blue. Ariana’s magic did flips and cartwheels in her stomach. 

“ And what about you? Did you ever hate them? “ She asked, because how could he not? 

Harry’s eyes darkened for a split second before the corners of his mouth twitched downwards. Ariana had a distinct feeling she was being pitied. “ Before, I think I did a little. But not anymore. “

A weight sinked deep in her stomach. For a second she had hoped there was someone who understood. Obviously, she was wrong. 

“ How can you not?! “ She snapped at him. “ It's not right. “ 

“ It happened a long time ago. “ Harry shrugged, his mouth twisting in a weird way that looked like he was holding back a laugh. “ I don’t want to let my past define me, “ he choked out, voice thick with emotion. 

For a long moment, neither of them knows what to say. A stunted silence rolls over them, the air thick with magic that was slowly leaking out of her. 

“ It’s not right. “ She said again. 

“ I know. “ Harry smiled kindly. “ But someday you’ll see that they’re just a few rotten eggs. “ 

* * *

Arina doubted it. “ Maybe. “ 

Later that day, Sirius introduced her to Occlumency. 

“ It’ll help you control your emotions, so hopefully you’ll be less prone to outbursts. “ He said. “ I’m no master but I can teach you the basics. “ 

She stared at his hand in poorly discussed suspicion. 

“ What’s in it for you? “ 

Sirius sighed heavily, looking her over like she was a puzzle to be solved. “ I’m getting a lot of wrinkles because of you. Knowing you won’t explode on me again is a good enough incentive. “

“ But, “ he added, his tone shifting as he lifted a finger at her in warning. “ For this to work I’ll have to use Legilimency on you. Do you trust me? “ 

_No, I don’t.  
_  
“ Fine, “ she says instead, burying her unease deep down inside of her, the chance of even slightly being able to control her magic too much to pass up on. _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup guys, new chapter :0 Unfortunately, I have exams! Again! So imma be taking a break for a while. Also about Sirius, I know he’s a bit OOC in this chap but hear me out. The past 4 years he’s been dedicated to keeping him and Harry alive and getting them back to the present. He’s wary of Ariana & the danger/attention she attracts, and he isnt really used to her presence. He’s a bit harsh on her rn but he’ll get better guys I promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Updated on the weekends, hope this was ok for y'all :)


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